Part 7

Bran Poultice.--Get a sufficient quantity of good bran in an ordinary washhand basin. Heat the basin before beginning operations. Have also a boiling kettle at hand. Pour the boiling water by little and little into the bran, and mix and stir it up until it is all a moist mass, but not wet. The thing is to avoid putting in more water than the bran can easily absorb and hold. Then have ready a flannel bag of the size and shape required for the poultice. Fill this with the bran, and it is ready. The skin to which it is applied should first be oiled with olive oil. The poultice may be fastened on with flannel bands. In any case it must lie tightly on the skin. The patient must lie on it, if it be applied to the back. One or two tablespoonfuls of mustard may be added if great power is required, not otherwise.

Instead of this poultice, an india-rubber bag full of hot water may be used, with two or three ply of moist flannel between it and the skin. Our only reason for recommending bran is that many could not afford the india-rubber bag.

Bread, Wheaten.--In some cases the bran in whole wheaten bread and Saltcoats biscuits is found to irritate the stomach and bowels. As diet for those able to digest the bran, nothing is better. Where it cannot be digested, ordinary bakers' bread boiled in water to soft pap is found to make a good substitute. This must not be boiled with milk unless where there is diarrhoea to be cured, as milk tends to produce bile and costiveness. Oatmeal jelly (see Food in Illness) is also a good substitute for biscuits and wheaten bread.

Often the water with which bread is baked causes it to be difficult of digestion. Hard water is bad for this. For an invalid, bread baked with distilled water, or pure rain water, is often a means of great comfort and help. A slight admixture of pure CANE SYRUP (see) or liquorice juice in the water will tend to prevent bile and costiveness. A sufficient action of the bowels is of great importance for where good nutrition is desired.

Bread, especially when fresh, is made much more digestible by slowly toasting it in the oven till it is a golden brown throughout. It is then known as "zweibach" (twice baked). When eaten dry, it requires considerable mastication, and for that reason is much better than soft bread. It can be also broken up and eaten with hot milk and sugar.

Breast with Corded Muscles.--Often a slight hardness shows itself in a woman's breast, when the muscular tissue becomes what is called "corded." It is well, first of all, in all cases of breast trouble to avoid alarming the patient. Great anxiety is often endured through fear of cancer when there is no need. A "corded" breast may usually quite easily be cured, and the patient should be made perfectly easy in mind about it.

Take a good lather of soap (see Lather; Soap). Apply this night and morning, gently lathering the breast for some time. After this, each time, rub the back well with hot olive oil, so as to produce a thorough glow of heat all over it. Sometimes the swelling will disperse under this treatment. It may, however, grow larger and show a tendency to break. In this case treat as in next article.

We shall also probably find, on examining, that the skin was failing to do its part well. If rubbed with Cayenne lotion the clean, healthy skin will send off much more waste than was allowed to pass through it before.

Breast, Swelling in.--A blow on the breast, or the drain of nursing a child, along with a chill, often produces swelling, sometimes hard and painful. This, if left uncured, may even develop into an ABSCESS (see). As it sometimes arises from dirt being left on the nipples, all nursing mothers should be particular about cleanliness, which itself prevents many ills.

For cure, bathe the feet in hot water (see Bathing Feet), rub them over with warm olive oil, and wear good cotton stockings if in bed. If going about, put a pair of woollen stockings over the cotton ones. Rub the back as recommended above, using first a little hot vinegar, then the oil. The feet bathing may be every three days, and rubbing the same. If the swelling does not yield to this, place the patient comfortably in bed. Put a good-sized basin of hot water, which has been boiled and allowed to cool so far, tightly under the breast, so that it may be bathed with a sponge. Do not use too hot water, but just comfortably hot. Keep up fresh supplies, and bathe for an hour if patient can bear it. If she becomes fatigued, lay her down to rest for fifteen minutes or so, and then continue treatment. No poulticing is needed when this is well done. A thorough heating of the whole breast is what is wanted; rub gently with olive oil, and cover warmly after bathing (see Cancer).

Breast, Sore Nipples on.--Take a little warm vinegar or weak acid (see Acetic Acid). Bathe the sore nipple with this, avoiding pain, for about ten minutes. Every two minutes dry, and anoint gently with warm olive oil. We have seen one application cure a bad nipple; but apply twice daily as long as needed.

Breath and Blood.--Often difficulty of breathing, especially in close air, mistaken even for asthma, is due simply to the quality of blood supplied to the lungs. Sometimes giving up the use of sugar effects a cure, for sugar produces an excess of carbon in the blood, which requires an excess of oxygen in the lungs to purify it. Thus breathing is difficult, especially where oxygen is deficient in the air breathed. Sometimes the lungs are not strong enough to stand the necessary fresh air required in such cases, or other troubles may prevent a delicate person from exposing themselves. Then it is of importance so to regulate the diet that less oxygen will do all that is needed in the lungs. "Rich" food, much fatty matter, sugar, and all sweets and sweetened things, are to be avoided. If this be done, the need for much oxygen disappears, and the patient will have no difficulty of breathing in suitably ventilated places.

But the best treatment is hot oil rubbing along the spine, over the stomach, and even down the limbs to the ankles. An hour of this every day will work wonders. Or a large BRAN POULTICE (see) may be laid across the back for an hour twice a day. Cultivate also all cheerful thoughts, and banish sad ones as far as possible. Sad thoughts greatly diminish nerve power.

Breath, and the Heart.--Stout people are usually more or less "scant of breath." Accumulations of fatty material, or changing of muscle into fat, cause this, especially if about the chest and heart. To reduce the fat, and grow healthy muscle instead, will perfectly cure the difficulty of breath. Moderate open-air exercise and simple food, such as Saltcoats biscuits, oatmeal jelly, and barley puddings will largely help this. Avoid also all alcoholic liquors, the use of which is often the sole cause of the trouble. Keep the skin active (see Skin).

The hot FOMENTATION (see) to feet and legs is a truly powerful remedy for all lack of force in the system, especially if followed by the massage treatment described in MASSAGE (see).

Breath, Hot.--This may be felt either because the breath is actually hot, or because the membranes of the tongue and mouth are unusually tender, and feel the breath hot in consequence when it is not really so. This latter case is usually accompanied by a sore tongue. To heal the tongue, it must be soaked freely with vinegar or weak ACETIC ACID (see), so diluted as to give only a very slight feeling of smarting after even prolonged application. Apply it with a good camel's hair brush, and brush with a little fine almond or olive oil after the acid. The mouth may be rinsed with the acid, but brushing is best.

But where real heat is found in the breath, it arises from an overheated state of the body internally. This frequently arises from failure in the stomach to digest properly. If the hot breath arises from this, small drinks of hot water, frequently taken, will usually cure it. A warm bran poultice, placed on the back at bedtime opposite the stomach, will prove a more powerful remedy in addition to the hot water. More powerful effect still will be found in such stimulus to the skin as washing it all over twice a week with vinegar or weak acetic acid. On other days let the patient be rubbed over with good olive oil, mixed with enough CAYENNE "TEA" (see) to cause a slight burning sensation. Let this also be done twice a week, and twice a week also wash all over with M'Clinton's soap and hot water. A plain diet of course, should be observed (see Digestion; Dyspepsia; Food; Teeth, etc.).

Breath, and Muscles.--Sometimes difficulty of breathing is due, not to anything wrong with lungs or windpipe, but to failure in the diaphragm (or large muscular "floor" of the chest), and the other chest muscles, which work the lungs. A feeling of sinking and weakness round the waist indicates in such a case diaphragm failure. Gentle heat at the small of the back, and olive oil rubbing, form treatment for this. For other chest muscles, give a warm washing each night with SOAP (see) over the body, and rub, especially the back and chest, with hot olive oil. You soon bring the muscles into good trim.

Breath, and Nerve.--Difficult breathing, especially in ascending a hill, is often due simply to the lack of the nerve power by which the breathing muscles work. A teacupful of hot water half-an-hour before each meal, by helping digestion, will often remove the difficulty. Rub each evening along the spinal cord with hot olive oil.

Breath, and the Skin.--The organs of breathing remove much waste from the system, but the skin also removes a very large part. If either fails, the other has more work thrown upon it, as we see in the severe "night sweats" which accompany chest and lung failure. In such cases, rub with CAYENNE LOTION (see and Night Sweats). Avoid the use of hard water in washing and bathing, especially with infants.

Cold baths for the weakly, chills, damp beds, and such things, cause rheumatism and colds by stopping the proper discharge of waste by the skin. After such chill, or cold in damp bed, a hot wash and good hot oil rubbing will avert all evil. This may not always be available; but, if it can be got at all, should be given as soon as possible. The use of the soapy blanket is of the utmost value in severe cases (see Soapy Blanket). Strict cleanliness of person and underwear should be observed. The AIR BATH (see) will also give tone to the skin (see Skin and Underwear).

Breathing, and Bronchia.--The bronchia are the branching small tubes which lead from the windpipe to all parts of the lungs. Two different states of these often pass as bronchitis. In one of these the tubes are swelled, congested, and full of fiery heat. The whole body is also fevered, and breathing is difficult, with cough. This is true BRONCHITIS (see). But often, with difficult breathing and irritating cough, there is no heat and fever. In this case bronchitis treatment gives no relief. This is, indeed, only an irritated state of the lining of the tubes, and far from dangerous. A change of climate to a drier atmosphere will often entirely cure it. Often also a time spent in a room, where the air is kept dry but fresh, and at one steady temperature of about 60 deg., will cure. Our chief purpose in mentioning it, however, is that this comparatively slight trouble may not be mistaken for true bronchitis.

Breathing, Correct Method of.--The capacity of an ordinary pair of lungs is about 250 cubic inches. In ordinary breathing, however, we only take in from 20 to 30 cubic inches. Hence the necessity for practising correct deep breathing.

Correct breathing requires cultivation and effort at first, afterwards it will become unconscious. The head should be thrown back, the shoulders squared, and a slow deep breath gradually inspired through the nose till the lungs are filled throughout with air. The expiration should be just as gradual with relaxation of every muscle. It is most important that the lower part of the chest should first be filled by depressing the diaphragm (the muscular floor of the lungs). Some practise is needed before this habit is acquired, but it is well worth cultivating. Place the hands on the sides of the abdomen while inspiring, to feel that this is expanding. Teachers of singing insist on diaphragmatic breathing, which is also of great benefit to the stomach, liver, and other organs. By the movement it gives to the intestines their action is also assisted, and constipation is prevented.

This deep breathing may be practised several times each day (say ten breaths at a time) till the habit of correct breathing is acquired. It will be found to have a wonderfully soothing and calming effect (see Worry). Such exercise should always be taken in the open-air, or in a room with a widely open window. A good plan is to take them in bed before rising, with little or no clothes on, while lying flat on the back.

Paleness, langour, irritability, and general ill-health result from insufficient breathing. Furthermore, the system becomes unable to resist disease. We know no aid to beauty more effective than the practice of deep breathing.

Breathing, in Going Uphill.--See Breath, and Nerve.

British Cholera is to a certain extent epidemic--that is, it affects a large number of people in a particular place, being, it is believed, conveyed mainly by the common house flies. War should be waged against these, and great care taken to guard food, especially that of children, against them, by using covers, etc. If this were done the appalling death-rate in summer from this disease among the young would be largely reduced. Typhoid fever and other diseases are probably also spread by flies. Care should be taken to remove promptly all refuse from about the house, and so prevent flies breeding on it.